


Curse of the Dragon Witch

by orphan_account



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series), Thomas Sanders
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Emotional Manipulation, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Friendship, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Multi, Self-Esteem Issues
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-17
Updated: 2018-11-30
Packaged: 2019-06-11 22:00:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,520
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15325287
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: After a misunderstanding with Virgil, Roman ventures into the Imagination and is injured and cursed by the Dragon Witch. All of his darker elements come to life, literally, in the form of a dark version of him. This dark version, named Rome, traps Roman in a magical mirror and looks for a way to destroy him and take his place as Creativity.Roman can only watch helplessly from the sidelines as Rome charms Virgil and represses Logan and Patton. The fate of Roman himself now rests in Virgil, but given their tumultuous past and his budding friendship with Rome, will Virgil free Roman or help Rome? Can he get past his disagreements with Roman to do what's best for Thomas, or will he be ensnared by the promise of a friend who can truly understand him?





	1. Triumph of the Dragon Witch

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fan-fic, and any comments are appreciated. I have alot of other fics planned, but we'll see how it goes. I should get chapter two out in the next week or two.

Roman stormed into his room, slamming the door behind him violently, and flopped onto his red and gold duvet bed. The room itself was completely glittery and disney. Posters, trinkets, and collectables lined the walls and numerous overflowing shelves. There was a large, white vanity against one wall. Gold lights surrounded the mirror on the vanity and there was an obscene amount of makeup cluttered on top. The room itself was very cluttered, with cloths, notebooks, and various other items scattered across the floor. The door, on both sides, was red with gold linings and his insignia at the middle top of it. 

The doors were incredibly stylized between the sides, appearing when they did for the first time. They were a reflection of the sides' personalities. Even their placement in the mindscape was symbolic: the closer they were to the common area, the older and more ingrained in Thomas' conscious mind they were. 

Being the embodiment of creativity, Roman specialized his room to reflect his moods, the ceiling taking on different environments. At the moment, the room was dark and the ceiling was composed of dark clouds, fast winds, thunder, and lighting. 

Roman was currently pouting angrily over the events that had occurred in the commons not 5 minutes ago. He had gone out into the commons with the intention of watching a movie with the others, but when he got out there, they were already watching a movie! 

When he questioned them on their reasons for discluding him in their activities, Patton, who was sitting closer to the hall and subsequently Roman, stuttered out a stream of apologies and Logan went on some scientific rant, but Roman wasn't listening to them. He was too intrigued by Virgil to listen to the others. 

The anxious trait was sitting squished  between the other two, clutching Patton's arm tightly and leaning into Logan. He said nothing to Roman, actively hiding his face in Logan's shoulder from the creative trait. Roman cut off the others to question Virgil himself. The others seemed annoyed by Roman's questioning and tried to stop him, but Roman insisted. 

He was surprised when Virgil told him to go away, that he didn't want him there. He was even more shocked when the others agreed with him. 

Roman was so upset that he had stormed off without a second glance, which led to his current predicament of pouting like a petulant child on his bed. 

He just couldn't understand Virgil sometimes, he thought they were getting along, or at least tolerating each other. The fact that Patton and Logan had ganged up on him made it worse. Roman wasn't stupid, he could see that Virgil was more popular than him, not only with the fans, but with the other sides as well. From Patton's annoying doting on him and calling him his son to Logan's favoritism of Virgil in arguments and for one-on-one interactions, like chess and intellectual debates, claiming he was the "one marginally intelligent side out of the three." 

He jumped up and started pacing his room, unable to grasp Virgil's cold reaction to his presence. He was so preoccupied with his thoughts that he forgot to watch his footing, and slipped on a notebook that sent him crashing to the ground. 

He sat up with a pained groan and rubbed his throbbing head. He picked up the notebook he tripped on and was surprised to see it was his original kingdom notebook. When Thomas was 7, his creativity went from being vaguely in the background to overdrive, and Roman's powers grew exponentially. He decided to, being a prince, create a kingdom for him to rule over and protect. This particular notebook contained his original drawings and notes for the kingdom. 

Roman smiled fondly at the childhood memory before getting a marvelous idea. If the others wanted him to leave them alone, he would do just that. He would go to the one place he was always wanted. With a flourish he opened the Imagination, and ran deep into his kingdom.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

Every side had their own realms inside their rooms. Patton has Nostalgia, a place where he often went to relive a glorified version of the past, Logan had The Archives, a place where he went to remember things for Thomas as everything Thomas had ever learned was stored there, Virgil had what he called The Abyss, a place where he went to wallow in his own anxiety, often bringing up Thomas' most embarrassing moments randomly for the poor man, and Roman had Imagination. 

The Imagination was a glorious place, in Roman's personal opinion. It was where Roman, and subsequently Thomas, went to get inspiration for his videos and other such things. Roman used the Imagination to build himself a kingdom to rule over and save when he needed to feel princely or productive. It was, in its own right, a coping mechanism, as were all of the sides' realms. Sure, Thomas used them for various purposes, but they were a safe haven to each side in their own way, a place created by them solely for them. In fact, none of the sides had ever visited each other's realms due to their personal significance, or fear of any negative effects on the others, in Virgil's case.

Roman had decided to stroll down memory lane and release his pent up emotions by visiting his kingdom to look for princely things to do. Doing heroic deeds always made him feel better. It was a way to forget his troubles and just be appreciated, at least for a little while.

He walked briskly through the streets of his kingdom, looking for princely things to do when he heard screaming and saw villagers running towards him.

"What ails you my dear citizen!?" Roman asked as the villagers stopped before him.

"Oh Prince Roman, thank heavens you're here!" One of the villagers cried. "The dragon witch is wreaking havoc on our village, you must stop it!" 

"The dragon witch eh? My old arch nemesis never learns. Never fear dear citizens, Prince Roman is here to save the day!" Roman announced, drawing his sword and running towards the now flaming village. The citizens cheered as Roman ran off. No matter how many times he saved his kingdom from the dragon witch (which it always was), he was always happy to do it again. There were risks, but it made Roman feel like a real prince for a time. He would never admit it, but he hadn't been feeling like a prince for a while now, and was quite desperate to feel so again.

As Roman entered the flaming village, a whispery voice spoke to him from the smoke, "Well, well, well, if it isn't Prince Roman? I would say I'm surprised to see you, but I never am, you're just too predictable. You smell of the self-pity and anger I've come to recognize, trying to pretend you're special again, are you?"

"My emotional state and motives are none of your business, and if you think you can get a rise out of me, you are mistaken Scales," Roman spat, warily searching for his foe while trying to keep his cool. Although it was impossible for him to die, as he was just an aspect of Thomas, he could get seriously injured if not careful. As a realm created by Roman, it could positively or negatively influence him, since the kingdom had really taken on a life of its own since Roman created it when Thomas was 7. The only part of the kingdom that wasn't apart of the original creation was the dragon witch herself. She was created years later, created by Roman to deal with some very personal issues that evolved over the years with the rest of the kingdom. Unfortunately, the dragon witch was well aware of her origins and purpose, unlike the rest of the kingdom, and held a strong grudge against the princely side for her less-than-pleasant reason for living. She was the most powerful entity in the kingdom, and always made sure Roman never escaped unscathed. 

There had been numerous times when Roman returned from battling the dragon witch with cuts, burns, and curses (which were varied in their effects and always hard to remove), much to the dismay of the others. He always tried to hide the injuries from Patton at least, to not cause any panic, but both Virgil and Logan could always tell. Virgil never understood why he constantly put himself in harm's way, and Logan just got pissed that Roman "slacked off" when injured, as his injuries tended to pain him to the point of stumping Thomas's creativity. Neither could understand that Roman felt it was his princely duty to help those in his kingdom. It made him feel good to help those in need and to smite evil, even if he ended up smited sometimes too.

The smoke grew thicker, closing in on the princely side. A low chuckle sounded from the smoke, "I'm glad you came. I was actually counting on it. Your idiocy has doomed you, Prince!" 

A column of fire erupted from the smoke, narrowly missing Roman as he jumped out of the way. "Your going to have to do better than that!" Roman laughed. More fire columns were shot at him through the smoke, but he avoided them all. 

"Maybe I need to take a more personal approach," the dragon witch said, finally stepping out of the smoke. She was big, to say the least, at least 50 feet tall. Her scales were a dark, shiny purple and her eyes ink black. She wore a sinister sneer that showed off her razer sharp teeth. A black witch's hat was perched upon her head, enchanted to never fall off. She swiped her massive tail at Roman, catching him off guard and knocking him to the floor. The dragon witch then pinned him to the ground with her massive claw, which dug into his arms. 

Roman let out a muffled cry as the sharp claws cut him, how deep he could not say. The dragon witch laughed as he squirmed under her grip, only to shriek in pain herself and pull away her claw as Roman shoved his sword through it. 

The dragon witch angrily blew more fire at him, this time consuming his left arm. Roman quickly put the flames out and flinched as his sleeve practically disintegrated, showing his badly cut and burnt arm. 

Roman, assessing that this battle needed to end quickly before he got hurt any more, flung his sword at the dragon witch. Normally, this would do serious damage as his sword was enchanted for both dragons and witches to be allergic to it, but due to his injured arms, his throw was off and he missed by a long shot.

The dragon witch chuckled, cradling her injured claw as it reacted to the sword's magic. As painful as the injury was, it wasn't enough to deter her. "What have we here, has the heroic Prince Roman finally been bested?" She mocked, slashing him with her uninjured claw. He fell to the floor, too weak to get up. "I'll take that as a yes," she pinned him again. "I'll tell you what, I'm not going to kill you right away," Roman groaned in pain but she continued, "First I'm going to take everything you love away from you: your honor, your kingdom, your friends, even your usefulness.

"But don't fear, dear Prince, Thomas will have his creativity. I see a darkness in you, something just waiting to be released, and you're going to do just that. And you, you pathetic excuse for a hero, will be no more!" She screamed in triumph as her words took a physical form and wrapped themselves around Roman as a black, heavy fog, twisting around and enveloping the prince. 

Roman screamed in agony as the fog took on a more liquid form and attacked him, seeping into his eyes, mouth, nose, ears, and pores. He writhed on the ground as the fog slowly disappeared inside him. A searing pain ripped though his right hand and tears ran down his cheeks as he slowly slipped out of consciousness. The last thing he saw was the dragon witch take to the skies, disrupting the smoke momentarily before it engulfed Roman once again.


	2. Almost

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The events of Ch.1, but from Virgil's perspective. He has a panic attack and Logan and Patton are there to comfort him. Roman gets offended over nothing and Virgil contemplates their complicated relationship.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a bit earlier than expected, but don't expect every chapter to come out so quickly, I'm usually lazier than I was this week. This is my pitiful excuse for panic attack angst, set ups, and foreshadowing. As terrible as this is, I want to thank everyone who commented, left kudos, subscribed, and read the last chapter. It honestly got alot more attention and praise than I expected, so thank you. Also, a new thing I'm implementing is italics. Italics are thoughts and bolded italics are the "voices,"  
> I swear it will make sense when you read it. Ok, enough of my shitty rambling, I'm done.

It was too much. Everything was just too much. Virgil was currently curled up underneath his blanket, fighting off a panic attack. He was trying to hide, but was becoming uncomfortably hot. In a fit of agitation he ripped the covers off of him and threw them to the ground. 

Virgil's room was dark. The walls were black as well as all the furniture, his bed spread was black and purple, blackout curtain covered the window, and there were only two lamps to light the room. The carpet was black and the floor relatively clean. He had a desk only used to house his laptop and a messy bookshelf. There were band and Tim Burton movie posters scattered across the walls. His door was black with purple panels and his insignia on the middle top.

He cried out in frustration, curling up in a ball and unsuccessfully willing the tears away. He sobbed as his feelings of inadequacy and doubt overtook him: _**You're a burden. All you do is hurt Thomas.The others don't really like you, they're only pretending so you don't leave Thomas again. Everyone hates you.**_

A soft knock emitted from his locked door, but it barely registered over the screaming in his head. "Virgil, kiddo, are you ok? I thought I heard crying," Patton asked, obviously concerned.

"I'm fine," Virgil croaked, cringing at how obviously not fine he sounded.

Patton huffed and started in his Dad Voice, "Now kiddo-"

"I said I'm fine Patton, leave me alone!" Virgil screamed. He regretted it immediately as he heard Patton gasp behind the door and run off.

Virgil sobbed harder as the voices returned, louder than before: _**Oh now you've done it. You can't do anything right. How could you hurt Patton, the only one whose always accepted you? They're all going to see how terrible you are now. You don't deserve his kindness. They're going to hate you even more now. You deserve to die.**_

"Virgil," Logan's stern voice cut through his thoughts, "Patton has informed me that you might be in the middle of a panic attack. May I come in?" 

_**Of course Patton got Logan, he's too nice to tell you what he really wants to: that he hates you and doesn't want you around anymore.**_ Virgil wiped his tears away and opened the door, revealing a concerned Logan and a crying Patton. _Time to face the music,_ he thought, eyes cast downwards as he braced for the worst. 

Logan looked surprised at Virgil's immediate compliance, but quickly masked it. "Virgil, may I ask why you are so upset?"

"It doesn't matter," Virgil muttered as more tears fell from his cheeks.

"Falsehood. Something is clearly ailing you if you are crying and yelling at Patton."

Virgil stiffened and cried harder at the mention of Patton, who said, "Oh no, Sweety, I'm not mad. I'm just worried about you, I can't stand the thought of you suffering alone."

"I don't deserve your kindness," Virgil sobbed and covered his face in a desperate attempt to hide how pathetic his cries were. He began to fall, but Logan caught him just in time. 

He wordlessly picked up the broken side and carried him out to the commons. He placed him on the couch gently, as if he would break if jossled. Virgil never once removed his hands from his face or stopped crying, but was aware of Logan on one side of him gently rubbing his back and Patton on the other side hugging him gently. They waited patiently for Virgil's cries to die down, never ceasing their comforts. 

When Virgil was calm again, Logan stopped his minstrations and asked, "Virgil, can you look at me?" Patton pulled away and he briefly mourned the loss before ever-so-slowly lowering his hands and placing them in his lap. He looked up at the logical side, shame and fear written across his face. "Very good Virgil. Now, if you feel like it, can you please explain why you do not feel as if you are worthy of kindness?"

"I'm a disease," Virgil whispered, looking down at his hands as if they held the answers to his problem, "All I do is hinder you guys." 

Patton made a small noise of dismay, but Logan silenced him, "How did you get to this line of thinking, there have been no conflicts in the mindscape recently."

Virgil sighed, "I don't know, I'm the embodiment of Anxiety? I was just sitting in my room when the voices started up again and everything became unbearable. It was like a sensory overload but from my own thoughts."

"What did these voices say?" Logan whispered.

"That I'm useless and a burden, that you guys hate me, and I should die," Virgil stated, too drained to care anymore. Normally, he would never admit these types of things in fear of upsetting the others. Today was an exception as Virgil was too exhausted to fight Logan and already exposed himself with his breakdown to dismiss it at nothing. 

Patton made a choked noise and Virgil turned to look at the moral side. He was crying now too, a hand over his mouth and the other gripping Virgil's arm. "You could never be a burden! You are very useful and we would be lost without you. We all love you so much, and would be heartbroken if anything happened to you."

"I know, it's just hard to remember that sometimes. I've been working on dealing with this, but it's hard. I never wanted to upset you guys, I'm sorry."

"Virgil, you have absolutely nothing to apologize for," Logan said, voice quivering, "Perhaps you would benefit from our help. It is not wise to keep such thoughts and emotions bottled up and to yourself. If your personal value and sense of belonging are what you question, we will not hesitate to show you just how much you mean to this group."

Virgil looked at the logical side carefully, "What do you mean?"

"What I mean is that whenever you are feeling like you don't belong, you come to us and we will remind you of how much good you do. We could talk about it, do something together, or you could just sit with us. Whatever you need, Virgil."

Logan looked at him with such unbridled care that Virgil could help but throw himself into the other's arms, "Thank you, Logan."

Patton rubbed his back gently and said, "We love you so much, kiddo, and want to make sure you're ok. Please let us help you? I was thinking we could watch some movies together, if you want?" 

Virgil removed himself from Logan's arms, who was trying to hide his soft smile and failing, to hug Patton, "A movie sounds great, Dad." Patton beamed at the nickname and pulled Virgil closer while Logan put on a movie. 

"I was thinking that we could watch "Black Cauldron," as it is your favorite movie and watching such movies helps calm the brain, as the familiarity of the movie is quite soothing since you already know the outcome," Logan rambled, watching Virgil for any hints of displeasure. 

Virgil smiled and replied, "That sounds really great." Logan returned the smile and sat back down next to Virgil, and after some deliberation, put an arm around him. Virgil pulled him in slightly, chasing the sense of protection and love that physical contact from his fellow sides instilled in him. Logan hummed in response and after sharing a brief but knowing look with Patton, played the movie. 

Virgil's smile grew as he looked at his two friends wondering how he could have gotten so lucky as to have them. For once he felt completely at ease and allowed himself to fully relax and let his guard down. It was one of the best 13 minutes and 38 seconds of his existence, as nothing so good can last. 

The offended and outright hurt gasp from the hallway broke the spell of relaxation and comfort. Virgil knew it was Roman without having to see, as he was the only other side in the mindscape capable of making such an over-the-top noise. He felt shame and embarrassment overtake him, and hid his face in Logan's shoulder to hide while keeping a grasp on Patton for security. 

Virgil's relationship with Roman was complicated at best. On the one hand, Roman was really trying to be a good friend and understand him, but on the other, he was always the meanest of the sides before Virgil was accepted and they still argued alot. While Virgil understood Roman's outright hurtful actions towards him before his acceptance, he had never fully forgiven the creative side and always felt more reserved and on edge when he was around. It wasn't to say he didn't enjoy the prince's company, he just didn't trust him the way he trusted the others with his problems and insecurities. There was always an underlying fear that Roman would go back to vilifying him at the drop of a hat that he couldn't shake.

"What in Zeus' beard is going on here!" Roman barked, obviously outraged at their gathering. 

"Roman! It's not what you think!" Patton squeaked, obviously scared of the other's hostility. 

"Roman, please calm yourself," Logan stated. Both he and Patton were aware of Virgil's doubts towards Roman and always tried to limit the fanciful side's exposure to Virgil when he was distressed as not to further upset him. "You are not behaving rationally. Virgil was in need of a break and Patton suggested we put on a movie to relax, we were not-" 

Roman cut him off, directing his attention towards Virgil as if he wasn't even listening or cared, "Why won't you look at me?" Virgil tensed, but didn't acknowledge him in any other way. Patton and Logan tried to deflect him, but he ignored them again, "If you don't want me around, just say so! I was just coming out here to-!"

"Go away," Virgil mumbled, unable to handle his accusatory presence in his fragile state.

"What?" Roman whispered, hurt and confusion lacing his voice.

Virgil couldn't bring himself to restrain his agitation and screamed, "Just go away, Roman! I really can't deal with this right now!" He had had enough of Roman acting like the victim, as if watching a movie without him was a crime. Roman and the others had done the same thing and much more to him all the time before they became friends, and he had never gotten so offended. He was constantly excluded, mostly by Roman, out of fear and hatred, yet never let on how hurt he was. He had always understood why the others left him out in the past, hell, he would've excluded his past self, but Roman isn't invited for one movie and acts as if they've just told him what Roman used to tell Virgil before. Frankly, Virgil was done with Roman's entitled attitude about needing to be the center of attention all the time.

Both Logan and Patton sensed the change in Virgil's attitude and quickly agreed with him, if a bit nicer. Roman made one last indignant and offended noise before storming off. 

"Do you wanna talk about it?" Patton asked after Roman was well and truly gone. 

"No, let's just watch the movie," Virgil responded without a trace of hesitancy or remorse. Logan and Patton shared another look but said nothing. Patton drew Virgil from Logan and cuddled into him while Logan put a supportive hand on Virgil's and played the movie again. Virgil tried to relax, and almost succeeded, but couldn't stop thinking about Roman or the new sense of dread that was beginning to grow in the pit of his stomach. He couldn't help but feel anxious about the creative side as the movie progressed, but chose to ignore it. Roman would just have to get over himself and understand where Virgil was coming from. 

Virgil sighed, realizing the prince was going to occupy his thoughts until whatever was going on between them was resolved. He just hoped that one day he could trust the royal. He made a mental note to have a discussion with Roman about his insecurities when he saw him again and hoped that the royal could not only understand but support him like the others did. If not, well, Virgil wasn't quite prepared to think about worse-case scenarios at the moment. So he cuddled closer into Patton and refocused on the movie. It almost drowned out the voice in his head screaming that something was wrong. Almost.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading this failed abortion of a fic. Comments are always appreciated, constructive or whatever. You can tell me this is shit if you want, that's cool too. If you like this, I'll have more out next week, most likely. Thanks again and peace out bitches.


	3. The Switch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roman wakes up after the battle to a friendly face, who tries to help him with his emotional turmoil. Upon arriving back in the mindscape, however, Roman is overcome with immeasurable pain and accidentally reveals too much to an actually-trying Virgil. Pushing the anxious side away, he is left with his self-hatred and a mysterious mirror...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry it took so long to finish this chapter. I've been incredibly busy with impending school, a job I have to drive 1 hour to get to, and personal shit. You don't care about that garbage though. The only problem is I can't make a real uploading schedule, but it won't be too far in between the chapters. Again, this chapter is shit, so keep those standards as low as possible and enjoy!

When Roman awoke, he was in what he could only imagine was a hospital room. It was very large room with stone walls, indicating that he was probably in the palace hospital. There was a large open window on one wall, medical supplies and instruments spread throughout the room, and cartoon posters and paraphernalia littering every corner. 

Roman was initially confused by the cartoon stuff, as he had purposely made everything medieval when making the kingdom. However, he was quickly reminded why the room was decorated in this fashion when loud, various "du"s started eminating from the door as it slowly opened to reveal a goofy looking man in an oversized tan jacket, a pink tie, purple hair, and glasses. 

He tried to sit up, but immediately regretted it as excruciating pain shot up his left arm. "Wow, wow, wow there, Tiger. You took a pretty nasty beating, better slow down before you hurt yourself even more!" The rambunctious doctor ordered. 

"Hey Emile, since when did you start practicing medicine, I thought you were only qualified for psychology?" Roman asked, laying back down and trying to ignore the pain.

Emile brought a clipboard out of nowhere and reprimanded, "Now Roman, I've told you a thousand times before that when we're in a professional setting to call me Dr. Picani. Otherwise people won't see me as professional, which is imperative to helping them. I started dabbling in medicine about 12 hours ago when all of the royal doctors were eaten by the dragon witch."

Remembering his embarrassingly easy defeat, Roman groaned in a mixture of pain, frustration, and shame. Not only did he get seriously hurt, he failed to capture the dragon witch, again! What would his people think of him now, when their prince could not defend them? "How many were lost?" Roman whispered. Even though they weren't real, he still felt responsible for his citizens. 

Dr. Picani sighed, his cheerful demeanor dropping, "Including the doctors I replaced, 57."

Roman let a tear drop down his face, "I failed them, this is my fault." 

"Don't think like that, this kingdom would be lost without you. If you hadn't been there, even more would have died. You can't just look at the negatives Roman, you do so much good for the people," the doctor reassured the crying prince.

"But if I had-"

"Hindsight is 20/20 Roman. Instead of dwelling on the past, improve for the future," Picani said, dropping the issue of Roman's physical health to deal with his mental.

"You're right, I must improve to become a better prince for my people. I was just so distracted by my anger towards Virgil and the others that I wasn't on my A-game," Roman explained. 

Unlike the citizens of the kingdom, who were essentially NPCs with zero development over the years of their existence, Dr. Emile Picani was one of the two specially made beings of the Imagination. These two beings were based off of someone in the real world, so they were more self aware and evolved bases off of Roman's interpretation of them. These two beings were the dragon witch and Dr. Picani. While the kingdom was based off of Disneyland and evolved with Roman, it wasn't sentient so it didn't count. 

Dr. Picani wasn't ever meant to be anything serious. When Thomas was 17, there was a brief time when Logan and Patton would fight over everything. Curios and bored, Roman had created a fusion of the two to see what it would be like in the Imagination. The result was not what he expected: A goofy, cheerful, yet logical therapist who he greatly enjoyed the company of. Roman decided to keep him around for tough times, and the doctor really was fantastic with Steven Universe analogies. Due to him being based off of real people, he evolved with them and was knowledable about outside of the Imagination. This knowledge was useful for Roman's sometimes hour long rants about the other sides. 

"What did that spunky punk do this time," Dr. Picani asked, clearly happy with his word play.

"He's an emo nightmare who has turned everyone I love against me!" Roman declared, suddenly angry at his dark counterpart.

"Don't you think you're jumping to conclusions there?"

"Both Logan and Patton care more for him then they do me!" Roman recounted the events which sent him to the Imagination while Dr. Picani took notes.

"Hmmm, I see. Have you ever though that Virgil just isn't comfortable with you yet and the others are trying to protect him?"

"What do you mean?"

"Roman, we both know you have been quite cruel to Virgil in the past. He probably hasn't fully forgiven you for all you've done. The other two have gained his trust by working for it. If you want what they have you had best do the same."

"That's it!" Roman cried, pain forgotten. Being a side meant that his injuries healed much quicker, but only in the mindscape. While he was still injured in the Imagination, the second he got to his room it would heal within a few hours. "I'll befriend the Master of Gloom and the others will invite me back into their inner circle! Thank you Emile, but I have an emo to woo and friends to regain!" With a flourish he jumped off of the table and sunk out into his room. 

"I'm glad he's working things out, but he could have at least let me check him out first," Dr. Picani muttered, ignoring the use of his first name, and went to off to treat his other patients. 

Upon entering his room, Roman doubled over from a fresh wave of pain, which was strange since his injuries should have begun healing, not get worse. It felt like something was underneath his skin, trying to claw it's way out. Suddenly, he felt something fall out of his shirt pocket, which was even more strange. He examined the object, which was revealed to be a mirror. 

The mirror was made of silver with black lining on the handle and back of the mirror. There was the outline of the head of a black rose on the back of the mirror. The mirror itself was pristine looking. Not a single scratch nor botch obscured its reflective surface. It truly was beautiful. 

Roman wasn't able to admire the treasure for long, as the pain in his body increased. The clawing under his skin turned to shredding as his skin felt like it was being ripped apart. His head was filled with cotton and his ears filled with static. He fell to the floor, clutching his hair hard enough to rip some out. 

He almost screamed in fright when a knock suddenly eminated from his door. He pushed himself off of the floor with great care and opened the door a crack. He gasped in surprise when he saw an unsure looking Virgil on the other side. A painful throb shot through his head, but he hid his grimace behind the door. Virgil may be the exact person he needed to speak to, but there was no way he could talk with the pain he felt. 

"What do you want?" Roman didn't mean to come off callous, he just needed to get out of this conversation quickly. The pain was almost unbearable, he might have to go back to the Imagination and ask Dr. Picani to actually take a look at him to make sure the dragon witch didn't poison or curse him. He couldn't remember the end of the battle, so he had no reference as to what happened other than the ass kicking. 

Virgil faltered slightly before saying, "I just wanna talk about what happened yesterday with the movie thing. Can I come in?" 

"No. I can't talk right now, come back tomorrow." It might take awhile to remove whatever the dragon witch put on him, and the pain was only increasing. Roman tried to close the door, but Virgil stopped him. 

"Wait, you don't have anything going on, Thomas just put up a video and you always take a day or two off after that. I just want to explain," Virgil pleaded.

"Why do you care?"

"I don't want you thinking something that isn't true. You seemed pretty hurt and I wanted to explain my side. Pat said it would be good to 'bond as a family' or something. Stop acting like an entitled ass so I can fix your broken ego." Virgil quipped, obviously meaning to be semi-serious while retaining a playful air, but only annoyance showed through.

Roman scoffed the mention of the father figure's name and the insult, bitterness and pain overtaking his common sense and censor, "Why should I care what you and your friends are doing. I don't need nor want your pity! I know you don't like me, and I don't blame you. Just leave me alone and I'll do the same for you!"

"What!? Roman that's not-!"

"No, I'm fine Virgil! I've accepted the fact that they prefer you over me, and why wouldn't they! You're the poor, misunderstood victim more important than the rest of us and I'm just the bastard who picks on everyone and has an overexagerated and unearned sense of self worth! Now get the fuck out of my face so I can properly stop bothering you and the others!" Roman screamed, slamming the door. He heard Virgil huff and stomp off angrily, probably to tell Patton and Logan about his indiscretions. 

He honestly hadn't meant to say all those things, even if he meant every word. He was suppose to be befriending Virgil, not isolating himself for Pete's sake! It was like he wasn't in control...

Roman suddenly realized that his pain had significantly dulled during hid argument with Virgil. Before he could examine this further, an ominous laugh started eminating from the mirror, which was laying face-down on the floor.

Letting his curiosity win against self-preservation, he slowly picked up the mirror and turned it over. He gasped when he saw his reflection. It looked just like him, except the reflection was mischeviously smirking, which Roman definitely wasn't doing. 

The reflection then spoke, "Oh Roman, you really fucked up now. Pushing away the people who tolerate you, if they even do. And poor Virgil, haven't you abused him enough, or are you that stupid?"

"What are you?" Roman had experienced evil magic in the Imagination, but none of that knew him like this did. 

The reflection gave Roman a look of sheer boredom and disgust, "I'm you, idiot, well the best parts of you."

"How can this happen," Roman questioned, before suddenly realizing, "the dragon witch!"

"Bingo, my lesser half! You were stupid enough to fall for her trap, now I'm here."

"Well you can leave now, I'm fine."

The reflection tutted, "Really, Roman? You have nothing under control! I think you should take a break for a little while. Kick back while I make things right. Like it or not I'm here to stay, and believe it or not I'm going to make things a hell of lot better for you."

"What do you mean, make things better? Who are you really?" Roman didn't really trust him, but needed answers.

"You can call me Rome, and I'm everything you wish you could be. I can help you win back your friends, Roman. Let me show you," Rome said, putting his hand up to the mirror.

Roman hadn't wanted to do anything this Rome guy wanted, but the clawing at his skin returned and compelled. He wished he had resisted, but was becoming too tired to fight. 

He put his hand on Rome's, and saw it. He saw a reality he could only dream of: Patton, Logan, and Virgil all huddled around him on the couch. They were giving him their undivided attention, telling him just how much they valued and loved him. He felt more love than he ever had in his life. The scenario ended and he was back in his room. 

"What was that?" Roman demanded.

"A possible future. Listen Roman, I'm not going to pretend there aren't draw-backs to this deal. The dragon witch wants you gone for awhile, in return you get the family you've always deserved. It's a good deal, just give me permission to make it happen," Rome said seriously.

"She's going to hurt people, isn't she?"

"That isn't her main intention, but some may be taken. She needs time to recover from her wounds from your latest battle, and wants to find a new lair. She is willing to give you something to keep you away for awhile, but after you get it the dynamic will return and you can feel free to hunt her at your discretion."

Roman didn't want to trust the dragon witch, but it seemed plausible. She's was always looking for a better lair to keep out Roman, but he never let her. People would die and the dragon witch would be at an even better advantage, but Roman was so tired of being alone. He literally made a character to talk to because he couldn't talk to the others. It might have been the physical pain of his skin, or the emotional pain of his seeming abandonment, probably both, but he nodded quickly. 

Rome smiled darkly, and Roman felt a pulling sensation. He looked down at the hand touching the mirror and saw that it was being sucked in. He started to freak out even more as cackling erupted from the mirror. His body turned to sand as his molecules were deconstructed and pulled into another realm. The pain was unbearable, everything was on fire and he couldn't see anything anymore as his body disappeared into the mirror. 

When he opened his eyes, he saw Rome fully. He had the same design as Roman, except he was wearing black instead of white, silver nails instead of gold, and darker and more menacing makeup. Rome was holding the mirror, now gold with red lining and a red rose of the back, nonchalantly as he took in his new surroundings. He clicked his tongue disapprovingly and snapped, changing the room to match his persona. Even the door changed, from red with gold linings to black with silver linings. 

Roman couldn't see anything beside what the mirror did, stuck standing where he was. Rome chuckled as he saw Roman struggle in vain, "You really are a dumbass, you know that? The dragon witch has no deal for you, I just needed to get out. I wasn't lying though, I'm going to give you everything you want. The only problem is that you won't be alive long enough to appreciate it. Now if you'll excuse me, I have an emo daydream to win." With that, he put the mirror inside his shirt pocket and sauntered off, the creative sides screams silent to all but him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for putting up with this shit. I swear it's good in my head, I just can't write. I appreciate all the kudos and hits, I'm still amazed how many people like this. Peace out my bitches. See ya later.


	4. Pleasant Oddities

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Virgil is upset about his last interaction with Roman. While evaluating his thoughts on the selfish royal, the man in question seemingly comes to Virgil's room seeking a truce. As if this wasn't weird enough for Roman, Virgil notices oddities in the royal, ones that just might be pleasant enough to overlook.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Why hello dear readers, been some time hasn't it? I must apologize for that, I was in the middle of moving to college for the first time and setting my shit and schedule up. I also apologize for this chapter being shorter than the others, couldn't be helped with how busy I've been lately. I hope to upload more frequently, but it might remain once/twice a month for a short bit.

Virgil stormed into his room, slamming the door and locking it behind him. _So much for mending bridges with Roman_ , Virgil though as he shoved his headphones on and hit shuffle on his phone, not really paying any attention to the music. 

He tried, he really did. It wasn't like how he usually tried, where he put in minimal effort and didn't care, this time he tried hard and really wanted it to work. But Roman wouldn't cooperate, wouldn't try like Virgil was willing to. 

Virgil was honestly pissed at how Roman had acted recently. He knew their past wasn't the best, but Virgil was willing to work on it, to be better. Roman was not. Roman wasn't willing to set aside his fucking ego, admit he made some mistakes, and try to find common ground. He didn't care about Virgil, he even admitted to feeling threatened by him even when Roman was the one isolating himself! Roman couldn't let anyone be happy if it didn't revolve around him! Virgil decided that his original assessment of Roman made years ago was correct, Roman was no more than an egotistical, narcissistic, inconsiderate, son of a-! 

A swift knocking from the door brought Virgil from his thoughts. "Virgil, it's me," Roman called out from the hall timidly. 

Brushing aside his shock at the royal's lack of fire, Virgil snapped, "Fuck off, Princey!"

Roman sighed and sadly said, "You don't have to forgive me, hell I wouldn't. I messed up, and I just wanted to explain myself." Virgil said nothing, too stubborn to reply. He heard Roman press his head against his door before continuing, "You don't have to respond, but I'm going to tell you. You don't even have to let me in. Honestly, it would be better for us to have this conversation without seeing each other. But we are having this conversation, even if I'm the only one conversing."

Virgil set aside his doubts and surprise at Roman's 180, "I'm listening."

"Thank you, Virgil. I know what I said was wrong, and that there's no excuse, but I want you to know why I said it. This is hard to admit for me, but I've made alot of mistakes. I don't think I can ever truly forgive myself for how I treated you before, and my regret and shame made me weary of future interactions with you. I was also jealous of your relationship with Patton and Logan. Although I never deserved them, I hated you for stealing them from me, and I hated them for their easy friendship with you. I felt isolated, and I know it was my fault. My pride held me back, and it took yelling at you today to realize how much of a problem it's become. I know you guys hate me for everything I've done, and that I deserve it, but I just wanted you to know how sorry I am. I am so, so sorry for everything I've put you guys through. If you never want to see me again, I understand, I'll leave you alone. But if you want to try fixing the damage and build a friendship with me, Virgil, than I will give this my all: I won't let my pride blind me any longer," Roman whispered, but Virgil heard it like a scream. 

Virgil wiped the tears he hadn't known he'd cried and said, "What if I want you to be my friend. What if I want you to be all of our friend. What if I want us to be like a family."

"Virgil Sanders, there is nothing I want more than to be your family."

Virgil had heard enough, he flung open the door and threw himself into Roman's waiting arms without a second though to his mess of a face and sobbed into the royal's shoulder. Roman held Virgil, petting his hair and rubbing his back, while the emo cried. 

When Virgil finally composed himself, he was able to finally take Roman in for the first time in weeks. Roman's eyes were misty and his usually immaculate hair was messy. Besides that, he looked almost normal. Almost. Virgil's brow furrowed as he tried to figure out what was wrong. He was wearing is usual attire, his nails were painted as usual, and he had a princely air to him, but it felt off. He couldn't describe it, but Roman looked different while looking exactly the same. 

"Something wrong?" Roman questioned.

"What?" Virgil flushed slightly at Roman catching him staring, "It's nothing, just...you seem different."

A flicker of something Virgil couldn't identify flashed in Roman's eyes before they softened and he replied," I haven't done my hair today and my cloths are messed up from the Imagination. Maybe you just don't recognize me being open and vulnerable." A small smile graced his lips as he slightly teased the darker trait.

"Maybe, it's a pretty good look on you," Virgil laughed, pulling out of Roman's embrace completely to wipe at his face. "My make-up must be a complete mess by now."

"Nonsense, my Dark and Stormy Knight. If anything, the tear marks add to your look," Roman teased more.

Virgil lightly punched his arm and said, "Shut up," not knowing how to take the compliment. "We should talk to the others, Patton will be thrilled to know we've not only worked it out, but you want to make up with them too." 

Another flicker of something passed over Roman's eyes, and Virgil almost thought it was disgust, but disregarded the though as ridiculous when Roman replied, "I can't wait to do that, but would you mind if we hung out for awhile first. I want to get to know you better first before mending the group. Is that ok?"

Virgil was more touched by the sentiment that Roman actually wanted his friendship and respected him enough to ask him first to make sure he was ok than he would ever admit. "I would love to hang out, Roman. Why don't you come in?" Virgil gestured to his room and started leading Roman in when Roman stopped him.

Before Virgil could question the action, Roman supplied, "I actually just wanted to tell you, you know, since we're starting over and going to be friends now, I just wanted to ask if you'd, and if you think it's stupid than you don't have to but-"

"Roman," Virgil interrupted, amused at how flustered Roman got when embarrassed, "It's ok, you can tell me. I won't laugh."

Roman looked relieved and asked, "Call me Rome?"

Virgil looked softly at the nervous man and said, "It's a fitting nickname, I love it. Now why don't you get in here and be my goddamn friend already, Rome."

Rome smiled and followed the dark trait into his room, closing and locking the door softly behind him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, there you go. Shit is going down and I'm ignoring all my notes to add shit like this, I hope you all appreciate my efforts. I don't know how long I'm going to make this, I'm practically winging it at this point. I hope you all enjoyed this crappy and possibly unneeded and drawn out addition to this work. Peace out, bitches.


	5. Logic Never Lies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's been three weeks since Rome took over, and all was going according to plan. Roman was dying and no one suspected a thing. Or did they?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What's up my dudes? I know it's been almost a month since the last chapter and I apologize for this taking me so long. I've been very busy, obviously, otherwise I would have posted something. I feel like I apologize in every chapter. I will be trying to upload with more frequency after this and next week, but no promises.

Three weeks. That's how long Roman had been stuck in the mirror. Three miserable, long, cold weeks. He knew what that imposter wanted. He wanted Roman to waste away, fade from existence so he could take over. But that wasn't going to happen. 

"Oh really, Roman?" Rome purred to the mirror, looking immaculately goth as always for, and only for, Roman. 

Apparently he'd been talking out loud again. That was getting worse the longer he was in there. "Absolutely, you fiend," Roman spat with as much fire as he could muster, which wasn't much these days. 

Roman's appearance had gotten worse. His cloths were disheveled and baggy on him, his nail polish faded and chipped. His hair was scraggly and knotted. There was no more make-up adorning the royal's face any longer. He was noticeably scrawnier and malnourished. His face pale and sunken, with bags under his eyes that seemed to take up half of his face. 

On the other hand, Rome was looking fabulous. His outfit, nails, hair, and makeup were flawless. He had a certain, appealing glow to him that only shined brighter the longer he was out. 

He was currently examining his shiny nails at the moment, "You know, it really is a shame I can't be myself with little ole Virgil. I do quite deplore your uninspired outfit."

"You should feel honored to even be seen as me," Roman huffed.

"Virgil doesn't think so. He said I'm so much better than before, and how I'm so understanding, and caring, and pleasant," Rome smirked. 

"Virgil doesn't know you like I do."

"Considering I'm just an aspect of you, I think he knows enough."

A distant call startled both from their bickering. "Rome, time for movie night!" Patton called from downstairs. 

"This has been super fun, but I've got a movie night to attend," Rome laughed, snapping his fingers. Roman disappeared and his own outfit changed to match his. He placed the mirror in the drawer of the vanity, locked it, then hid the key in the inside of his jacket. Rome then smiled to himself as he began heading down the stairs.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The popping had been going on for fifteen minutes now. _Honestly, who needs this much popcorn?_ Logan though. Patton apparently. 

The father trait was watching the microwave giddily, as if he'd never seen such a thing. It was starting to annoy Logan. 

"Why are you so excited, Patton? It is just popcorn. You have made and eaten it on many occasions," Logan stated, gathering sodas from the fridge and placing them on the counter. The oven went off, and Logan took the multiple trays of cookies out off it.

Patton just smiled and said, "Because I love popcorn Logan! It's my favorite food!"

"You say that about all food you happen to be consuming."

"Because I love all food, silly!" Patton hummed, spinning around to hug Logan and grab a cookie from one of the trays he was holding. He immediately dropped the burning desert, whining at the pain. 

Logan tutted, put the trays down, and  dragged Patton to the sink to cool off his burnt fingers. "You seem quite excitable this evening," Logan commented, still holding Patton's hand under the water. 

"Aren't I always?" Patton retorted, still chipper despite his injury. 

"More than usual."

"Well, I guess I'm just so darn happy Virgil and Roman- I mean, Rome- are getting along recently! They've been practically attached at the hip! It's so good to see our son so happy!" Patton gushed.

"Firstly, Virgil is not your, nor my, son. Secondly, it is nice to see Virgil so happy and engaged with the group. However, do you not see anything wrong with this picture?" Logan asked hesitantly, turning off the water and drying off Patton's hand. 

"Nope! How could happiness be wrong?"

"It is very peculiar to me how quickly Roman changed his perceptions of himself and Virgil. He is like a completely different person now-"

"People change, Logan."

"-after just one conversation-" 

"It was a very long conversation."

"-He shows little connection to his older self, it is like all of the flaws keeping him and Virgil from friendliness magically disappeared-"

"Is that really so bad?"

"What?" Logan asked, completely taken out of his rant.

"Well, I mean, he's doing so much better now!" Patton scrambled, his cheeriness clearly false now.

"There is clearly something wrong with him, Patton, and you just want to ignore it?"

"Maybe he realized that he needed to change."

"Or there is something else going on."

"Or he realized how much of a self-absorbed asshole he was being!" Patton blurted angrily. He instantly regretted the comment, "I didn't mean that," he whispered. 

Logan softened at the moral side's distress. "Hey, the remark was not uncalled for. You are correct in saying Roman was not the best before, and I was wrong to push. You are also probably correct in the assumption that there is nothing wrong, I apologize," Logan wiped forming tears from Patton's eyes. Logan had been trying harder to be nicer to the other sides, which included apologizing when he made them upset, as illogical as it was to him. 

"There's nothing to be sorry for," Patton smiled, genuine again, and hugged the logical side once more, who returned it this time.

The microwave went off suddenly, causing both to jump away from each other. They went to attend to the food when Rome rushed into the kitchen. 

"Hey guys, how's it-" he paused noticing tears in Patton's eyes. "Are you alright, Padre?" 

Patton wiped at his face and waved him off, "I'm alright. Why don't you head out to the living room. Virgil's waiting for you."

Rome's face instantly lit up as he quickly spun out with a bow. After a few seconds, Patton and Logan heard the other two's playful bickering. 

"They're cute," Patton sniffed.

"Of course, Patton. Let us get out there before they begin to worry," Logan ushered Patton out with the food and drinks. 

They took their seats on the half of the couch not occupied by the two sprawled out and cuddling sides. Virgil was practically on top of Rome, setting up a blanket on them when he noticed something was off.

"You trying a new look, Princey?" Virgil teased. 

"Pardon?" Rome asked, clearly confused. 

"Your nails and makeup are different today. I mean, don't get me wrong, the gold was nice, but the silver's cool too. Gives you a mysterious look," Virgil gestured to Rome's face and hands a bit awkwardly due to their positions. 

Logan noticed Rome looked genuinely surprised and a bit scared by Virgil's compliment for a split second, but it morphed into his usual smirk. "A prince must try new things if he is to know how glamorous he can truly be."

Virgil resumed fixing the blanket and teasing with Rome while Patton put on whatever disney movie they had all agreed on earlier, Logan was too caught up in his observations to remember. He noticed that after Virgil's comment on his new appearance, Rome became more tense and self-conscious of the changes. This puzzled Logan greatly, as these actions were in direct conflict to the earlier conversation. Something was truly off with the creative side, no matter what he and the others said.

Despite what he told Patton, Logan still didn't fully trust Rome. Despite how happy he made Virgil, it didn't sit right with the logical side. Despite how illogical it was, there was something really wrong going on here. And Logan was going to figure it out, tonight. Even if that meant snooping in the royal's room during a movie break. If Rome wouldn't tell him and Patton wouldn't help, he would have to figure this out himself. What's the worst that could happen?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's all you guys get today. This story is really going in directions I never could have predicted when I started. I feel like I'm boring you guys sometimes with how little I upload each time. I want to thank everyone who has read this story, left kudos, commented, and bookmarked. I appreciate it all and I never expected this much, so thank you all. With that I will leave you alone now, peace out bitches.


	7. Two Steps Forward, Ten Steps Back

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Logan, unable to contain his curiosity, breaks into Rome's room to check for anything suspicious. He finds what he's looking for and then some as he's officially in too deep and possibly beyond help now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, bet you all thought I was dead. I wish, unfortunately, I was just busy. I do apologize for this taking me so long and doing such a shitty job. I would also like to thank you all for your support, I really appreciate how much you people seem to like this, even if it baffles me. Well, here it is, then.

It had been 3 hours since the movie marathon had started, which seemed like an ample amount of time to grow tired. Logan looked around the living room at his fellow sides. Patton was on one end of the couch chewing on the kernels from the popcorn, surrounded by the remnants of their earlier meal, Virgil was fast asleep laying across Rome, and Rome was intently watching the movie. 

Logan got up and announced, "It is quite late, I think I will be taking my leave now. Good night, everyone."

"Can't you stay for one more movie, Lo?" Patton pleaded, looking up disparagingly from his mess. 

"No, Patton, I must get adequate rest if I am to ever get anything done tomorrow. Also, you should not chew on the kernels like that, and please clean up the mess when you decide to end this frivolous activity," Logan said matter-of-factly, walking towards the stairs. 

Patton whined, but begrudgingly agreed. Logan was almost out of the room when Rome said, "Night, nerd." Logan paused to look back at the prince. It was a natural thing to say for him, but it didn't come out right. It sounded macanical and scripted. Rome didn't even look away from the tv or show any emotion other than intense concentration. 

"Good night," Logan stated quickly before ascending to the second floor. 

He stopped right outside of Rome's door and, with a quick look to make sure he wasn't followed, went inside. He quietly shut the door and turned on the lights. When he looked around the room, Logan gasped loudly. The room was in disarray, and much darker. The ceiling, which was usually painted in galaxies during the night, was covered in thunderstorms that occasionally let out lighting and thunder. The room was cold, so cold Logan began rubbing his arms and his breath was clearly visible. Logan knew his suspicions were confirmed. 

He began rummaging in various drawers, finding nothing unusual. Logan searched for several minutes, getting anxious about his long stay when he heard a noise coming from the vanity. It sounded like a tiny cry.

The vanity was locked, but Logan was an expert lock-picker, and had it open within 30 seconds. The only thing of note in the vanity was a mirror, which he picked up to inspect. The mirror was made of gold with red lining on the handle and back of the mirror. There was the outline of the head of a red rose on the back of the mirror. The mirror itself was deteriorating. There were many scratches, cracks, and dents in the barely-reflective surface. It truly was disgusting. 

Logan winced as some of the gold paint flakes came off into his hand, and was about to put it back when he heard the tiny cry again. Logan froze, and looked back down at the mirror. 

Instead of his own dulled, reflection, there was a glossy image of a haggard-looking Roman.

"Roman!?" Logan whispered, almost dropping the mirror in shock.

"Logan, you have to help me! He trapped me in here and is trying to kill me! You have to get me out of here!" Roman begged, clearly getting exhausted from talking.

"Roman, what is going on, who's trying to kill you!?" 

"An evil version of me, he's trying to take over..." Roman was beginning to fade. 

"I knew something was off about Rome, What should I do?" Logan asked, but Roman didn't respond, he had clearly spent all of his energy on calling out for Logan. He disappeared entirely. Logan sighed and said, "Do not worry, Roman, I will assist you." 

"Just what do you think you're doing?" A voice boomed from behind him. 

Logan stood up and spun around, only to come face to face with an amused yet annoyed looking Rome. "You!" Logan spat.

"I see you have my mirror, I'll take that back now and we can go back to how it was earlier. I'll even let you live," Rome locked the door and slowly advanced.

"How generous, but I think I will decline," Logan backed away.

"C'mon, Lo, everyone thinks I'm better than him anyways, just as Virgil."

"You may have fooled the others, but I am not so easily deceived. You cannot trick logic," Logan hit the vanity, and held out the mirror as a weapon.

"Is that so," Rome declared thoughtfully. He stopped advancing and said, mockingly, "that's quite a funny statement coming from you."

Logan sputtered in offended shock, "And why is that?"

"Well, that's because, out of everyone, you fell into my trap the easiest."

"What?!" Logan shrieked, more annoyed than scared.

"Roman and Virgil both initially resisted my advances and had to be heavily persuaded into trusting me, Virgil more so than that insipid oaf, Patton is more of a passive player in this game, but you Logan, you actively went out of your way to fall into my trap. No convincing necessary."

Logan was losing his composure fast, not noticing Rome slowly coming towards him once more. "You didn't trap me, I found you out! I know you're power is waning, I saw it on your face when Virgil noticed your unexpected change eatlier this evening with your nail polish. Patton sees it as well. You have no where else to hide."

Rome smiled condescendingly and said, "You know, I'm really disappointed in you, Logan. I mean, if you were even half as clever as you think you are, you would have figured this out sooner. I didn't know I would have such a stupid opponent. You can't even get yourself out of a simple break-in. You really are much stupider than I originally believed."

Logan's face immediately drained it's color. He screamed and lunged at Rome, knocking him to the ground, screaming, "I am not stupid!" He punched Rome in the face over and over in time with his screams. 

He stopped when he felt a sharp pain in his abdomen. He looked down to see a rather ornate dagger sticking out of his side. He sputtered and Rome knocked him off of him, grabbing the mirror and standing. 

"It's just too easy," he said, putting the mirror back into the vanity. 

He began sauntering over to Logan, who was trying to pull himself away, all the while leaving a pool of blood in his wake. Before Rome could cause anymore damage, a knock came from the door.

"Kiddo, is everything ok in there? I though I heard screaming," Patton's voice sounded through the door. 

Rome turned towards the door after motioning for Logan to stay quiet and said, "Everything's fine, pops! I just need a minute and I'll be right out!" 

Patton sighed, but left the royal without another word. Rome was glad Logan hadn't said anything, it would be a shame to kill the father figure, too. Remembering Logan, Rome turned back around to finish the job, but the logical trait was gone. A trail of blood led to the open door of the Imagination. 

_So that's how Logan wants to play, huh? Well, I've got all the time in the world to track down a bleeding and inferior version of myself._ Rome though, humming a light tune. He cleaned his face and put makeup over the large, purple bruises. Say what you will, the logical trait packed quite a punch. _Not enough to help that ego._ Rome smiled at the events that had just transpired. He may have lost Logan, but he always loved a good hunt. 

First things first: appearance. Rome swaggered into the living room and announced. "I have to go into the Imagination for a bit, the dragon witch is acting up again. I shall return promptly!" He kissed the forehead of the sleeping Virgil quickly before running back to his room.

Patton stood there in shock, but decided to ignore it for now. _Logan is going to be upset he missed all of this "interesting development", as he calls it._ Patton smiled at the though of the logical trait. He knew Logan would be pleased that weird things were happening. Despite his claims of wanting peace, he thrived in stressful situations. 

Patton decided to wait until morning to tell the logical trait what had happened in favor of cleaning, putting Virgil to bed, and letting him rest. He did this not knowing Logan was currently running through the Imagination, bleeding out and out of options and time as a sadistic Rome called forth the evils locked away to hunt him down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There, you go. I hope it tides you guys over for a little while. I'm sorry for the ending, but I really like cliffhangers, so deal with it. Guess I'll see you guys in two months. I'm kidding, hopefully. Peace out, bitches.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading my published garbage. If you liked it for some reason, stick around, there will be more. I hope to write more fics besides this one, but I am a lazy ass, so you never know. I appreciate all suggestions and criticisms that come my way. Have a bitchin day, see ya later.


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